Pages

March 31, 2014

I have two secrets to share. I love Star Wars. I also sort of like Frozen a little. You're shocked, right? I thought so. Given my feelings towards both franchises, I felt both surprised and more than a little dumb when someone on Twitter pointed out the Frozen and Star Wars connection. Just look:

Marshmallow's general shape and structure looks like the rancor! I can't believe I didn't see it before. DeviantArt user choosecheese127 spotted the similarities after he saw the film and made the above image, and I think some inspiration was definitely pulled from Star Wars. Just a bit maybe, but I love seeing it.

I don't write fan fic, but if I did, I'd want to write an adventure starring Marshmallow and Jabba's rancor. I'd probably have to bring in Olaf for a musical number.

Fully Operational Fandom: Star Wars Collecting - Star Wars brings people together in many ways, and one of the ways is through collecting. I talked to a few people about the friendships they've made through the hobby and discuss one guy who even donated one of his kidneys to a fellow collector.

March 28, 2014

Any time I see creative Frozen cosplay, I'm going to post it. Just a fair warning/public service announcement. Sometimes I feel like I could start a whole Tumblr just for showcasing it.... hmm. Anyway. I've seen several well crafted Anna and Elsa costumes, and just a bit ago, I featured the best Frozen cosplay ever featuring outfits from a memorable scene at the end of the movie.

While that ensemble is still at the top of my list, I'm pretty amazed by this transforming Elsa! Yes, it's photoshopped, but that doesn't make it less cool to me - after all, vandariwuuuuutcosplay still made two incredibly beautiful Elsa costumes!

March 20, 2014

Candles are nice, and film frames are cool, so imagine putting them together! That's just what a group of projectionists are doing with Actual Film Votive. They've rescued real 35mm film cells from dumpsters and preserved them in a unique way: by attaching them to the side of a frosted votive holder.

When you burn a candle inside the votive, it illuminates the cell. It's a neat piece of film history and at $12, the votives are also affordable! Check out some of their Star Wars options:

To be on the safe side, I'd recommend only burning tealights or even flameless candles to ensure the heat isn't too much for the cell to handle.

Death is one of my favorite comic book characters (I've even cosplayed her). A different Death makes an appearance in one of my all time favorite Supernatural scenes. So, imagine how much I flailed when a friend sent me a picture of this art by Dustin Nguyen:

March 19, 2014

Steve Rogers spent a lot of years under ice. He truly is a man out of time. Though Rogers stays pretty busy saving the day as Captain America, he tries to catch up on everything he missed during his Capsicle period in his spare time. When people recommend anything that he missed out on experiencing, Cap makes a note in a small book. And of course, Star Wars is on the list:

According to Comic Book, the journal is shown in the first few minutes of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. The footage has been previewed in advance of the film's premiere (it's 3/26 for some of the world and 4/4 for the United States). They explain:

Steve Rogers (Captain America) meets Sam Wilson, who suggests he listen to a Marvin Gaye album, to help get him caught up with the decades he lost while frozen in the ice between World War II and the start of Marvel’s The Avengers.

It's a small touch, but I love that Marvel included it in the film, and that we get to see how Cap is trying to become accustomed to living in modern times. Since Star Wars appeared to be crossed off the list, I'm dying to know what he thinks about it.

Not into sports? Well, you don't have to feel left out this month while everyone is talking about brackets and March madness because there's a Star Wars version! That's right, StarWars.com has brought back their bracketed character tournament, and it's been upgraded and improved.

You can vote between characters (right now it's Yoda vs Qui-Gon Jinn and Boba Fett vs Greedo) and though making bets with money isn't the best idea, you can still have have a friendly competition with friends. Maybe you can put some toys on the line? Anyway, here are some of the tournament's features:

March 18, 2014

Ashley Eckstein of Her Universe has been changing the landscape of geek girl fashion over the last few years. The company began with a simple purpose: to create a community for fangirls and to make sci-fi genre clothing that was made to fit ladies. They've definitely succeeded on both fronts. It's been a delight over the years to wear t-shirts made for women and to watch the company's offerings increase - I barely have to turn to the boys' section at department stores any more!

Her Universe has been growing beyond t-shirts for the past couple of years and really making a footprint in the geek chic arena. Everyday cosplay dresses, leggings, and jewelry have become part of the line-up, and now they're venturing into geek couture.

Ashley showcasing Darth Vader couture

Ashley is bringing Fashion Week to San Diego Comic-Con with a full scale geek couture fashion show. It's the first of its kind, and I can't wait to see what sort of styles appear on the runway. The looks will even be partially determined by fans. Along with the announcement of the fashion show, Her Universe revealed that they're also hosting a design competition. Fans can submit geek couture outfits (not costumes) until April 4th and winners can showcase their fashions on stage as part of the show. It's so fancy!

Need some geek couture examples? Check out these illustrations shared by Her Universe:

Captain Kirk

Loki

TARDIS

I would happily wear any of those dresses to a fancy dinner party. Learn more about the fashion show and the contest over at Her Universe.

And speaking of the splashes that Ashley has made, Blastr recently included her in their list of "11 trailblazing ladies who dominate sci-fi and fantasy." She's listed alongside fantastic women like Felicia Day and Gale Anne Hurd, and it's absolutely deserved. Ashley has really leveraged Her Universe to show the industry that women are fans and that they spend money; she's amplified our voices. For that, this fangirl is grateful.

March 17, 2014

I can't picture a future where I'm tired of listening to Frozen's "Let It Go." Whether it's the Idina Menzel version on the soundtrack or one of the dozens (hundreds?) of parodies that's popped up on the web, if it says "Let It Go," I have to click it. There have been renditions ranging from big and moving to a parody with curse words to this fantastic take by Brian Hull.

He belts out the lyrics of the powerful song while doing impressions of 21 different Disney and Pixar characters. 21! And they're not all princesses; he mimics everyone from Jack Sparrow to Lumiere to Sebastian. It's guaranteed to make you smile.

Five Ways to Use a Flashlight in Cosplay - Have an extra plastic flashlight around your house? Then you have a costume accessory. Go to Adafruit to see my suggestions on using this everyday object in cosplay.

March 14, 2014

It's March 14th, and that means it's time celebrate the number Pi! 3.14159265359... is a splendid irrational number, and it gives everyone an excuse to make or eat pie. Math + dessert = fun for everyone. You can celebrate Pi Day in many ways, like entering to win a Pi necklace, and the most obvious way is with a delicious, flaky crust and the filling of your preference. I've rounded up some spectacularly geeky pies to get you in the mood.

March 13, 2014

Mary Jane Watson captured how I feel about Sideshow Collectibles' Mary Jane Polystone Statue in her own words. This statue is gorgeously sculpted and painted and is probably the most beautiful statue on my shelf (sorry, Tony Stark). Just look:

Mary Jane is sitting on a cushion (also polystone) looking at magazines and The Daily Bugle in a comfortable pair of jeans and low-cut shirt, with part of Spider-Man's costume draped over her shoulders and down her arms. The pose is meant to accentuate her curves and given the character and some of her outfits in the comics, it's not out of place (I could do with the jeans being a teensy bit higher, but mostly because I'm worried about her getting cold). Every detail is carefully painted from her hair to the rips on her jeans. Look:

The freckles! And the gorgeous makeup!

Love the way the rips on the jeans look

The Daily Bugle covers the big news

One of the features I like the most can be best viewed on Mary Jane's back; look at how the folds of the fabric are sculpted. It's natural and looks just like clothing to me. As with all the pics in this post, click to enlarge!

Look at the detailing on the feet and toes and ends of the jeans!

The shading on Spidey's costume is varied and shows the flexing of the fabric, too.

The "Comiquette" occupies a nice place between the Ame-Comi toys and Hot Toys figures. I'm more than okay with a statue that doesn't have five million accessories for me to store or several joints to pose - especially when it's of the highest quality like this one. All I had to do was unpack her and find the right place for her on my shelves, and I'm a fan of easy unboxing! Besides being made well, the statue captures Mary Jane's flirtatious and fun nature. The smile-smirk on her face says it all.

Let me run down some technical stuff for you: the polystone statue weighs 5lbs and stands at 11.5 inches tall and is 5.75 inches wide. The artists behind this stunning collectible are Kat Sapene (Paint), Steve Schumacher (Sculpt), J. Scott Campbell (Design), and The Sideshow Collectibles Design and Development Team. Gold stars to everyone!

March 12, 2014

As I've become more fond of wearing leggings, I've had to keep on the look out for suitable tops to wear with them. My general rule is that I must have full butt coverage. If I can find something long in the back that also covers the tops of my thighs in the front, even better. I just don't have the confidence or desire to show my butt covered only in lycra to the world.

I'm not the only one with the butt coverage preference, either. More of my pals are embracing leggings, too, and we often share texts and emails about where to find tops that are just the right length. We even discussed the subject during my appearance on Fangirls Going Rogue. Given that it comes up so often, I figured it was time to round up some examples and places to search for long tunics, sweaters, blouses, and tees. All the tops!

My favorite look for leggings is the one I'm wearing here (minus the shoulder pauldron):

(that's my sis on the left)

I'm wearing Black Milk's Middle-earth map leggings with a long black tank I purchased from Sidecca and a sleeveless sheer and flowy Converse label blouse I bought from Target over a year ago. My butt is more than covered and the solid color goes with most of my leggings. I try to find tops that follow this template as much as possible. Here are the resources I've found:

Long tank tops as undershirts - If you're planning to layer, a long, snug tank top makes a good base. I have success finding these at stores like Sidecca (my favorite), Forever21, and Target. All three places have a wide selection of solid colors, and the tanks are usually under $10. Make sure they're long enough to stretch over your behind.

Long tank tops as the only shirt - If you just want to wear a tank as your only shirt, you'll need something that's still long and probably a little loose. (That's my preference anyway. Ups to you if you're comfortable wearing just tight tanks. I need to conceal squish). I've found suitable tanks at Target (like these) and, thanks to @sarahkuhn, at Gap. They have tanks with butt flaps that are perfect for leggings!

Depending on the color and print of your leggings, you can also try costume style long tanks from WeLoveFine. For example:

Long t-shirts, blouses, tunics, etc - For long sweaters or shirts to layer over a tank top, I've had the best luck at Target. Seriously. I make it a point to wander through the women's department (particularly the clearance racks) any time I'm in the store, and I'm often pleasantly surprised. Here are some examples from their website:

Not digging the long shirts? Get an oversized cardigan or wear a short skirt over your leggings.

Need more ideas? I've created a Pinterest board with plenty of examples of long tops to wear with leggings. I'll add new shirts as I come across them.

If you're shopping in person and aren't positive whether a shirt is long enough, take a few minutes and try it on. I know, I hate trying on clothes too, but you'll be sad if you get home and discover your butt is still showing underneath the top. If you're purchasing the shirt online, make sure you can clearly see where the shirt falls on the model.

If you've had luck at with places I haven't already covered, please comment and share your discovery!

For a review of different brands of geeky leggings, check out this post.

March 11, 2014

It's almost March 14th, and that means it's time to celebrate Pi! Happy Pi Day... three days early!

Taking a moment to appreciate the irrational number is completely rational. You can honor Pi Day in a variety of ways, and Boutique Academia and I would like to help you think of Pi every day with a gorgeous Pi necklace. Just like the rest of the items in Boutique's Academia shop, it's not only a stylish piece of jewelry, it's smart. Go ahead, browse all the math jewelry and science jewelry in her shop. Pretty cool, right?

For this giveaway, you can choose one of these three Pi pieces:

They're all beautiful and perfect to wear any day of the year. What I like most about these necklaces is that they go with anything from a t-shirt to a little black dress.

Here's how to enter to win a (1) Pi necklace from Boutique Academia:
1. Go over to Boutique Academia, take a look around, come back here and comment to let me know about your favorite item in the shop. This step is required and all you need to do to get a single entry.
2. Like the Boutique Academia Facebook page and comment that you've done so. This is optional and will get you one more entry.
3. Follow @amy_geek and @BoutiqAcademia on Twitter if you aren't already and Tweet the following: Enter to win a Pi necklace from @amy_geek and @BoutiqAcademia: http://www.geekwithcurves.com/2014/03/giveaway-pi-day-is-almost-here-win-pi.html #PiDay
This is optional and get you one more entry.

When the contest is over, I'll assign numbers to all the entries (one person can up to have three entries) and choose a number at random.

You can enter until 11:59pm EST on Sunday, March 16. I'll choose a winner by 9pm EST Monday, 3/17, and contact them by email. The winner has five (5) days to reply to me with an address and necklace choice. This contest is open to everyone - worldwide. Woohoo!

I've seen plenty of dazzling Elsa dresses and cute Anna costumes, and I'm sure the pair from Frozen will be the most popular characters to cosplay during this convention season. I keep seeing different takes on the outfits though, and I stumbled upon a photo last night with a costume I'd never seen before. But, the picture is also a spoiler for the five of you who haven't seen the movie yet. So, I'll post an adorable Hans and Anna picture first and then you just need to scroll down to see what I think is the best Frozen cosplay yet. Deal?

Okay, spoilery pics are next. You've been warned:

Frozen Anna! The outfit! The wig! The makeup! I'm impressed. And also maybe have something in my eye.

March 10, 2014

Star Wars: The Clone Wars came to Netflix last Friday. The release included the existing five seasons, and 13 new episodes titled The Lost Missions. I binge-watched them Friday night and was impressed that they solved some of the biggest mysteries in the Star Wars universe and served as a good wrap up for the series I love so much. My thoughts on the episodes as well as a discussion of what we learned are over at Nerdist: Thoughts on STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS – The Lost Missions (SPOILERS)

March 7, 2014

Like Snickers? Like movies? You're in the right place because a I have a Snickers Movie Prize Pack to give away and it includes a $15 Fandango gift card and 5 Snickers bars!

What makes this so monster-rific (yeah, I went there)? Snickers has a new commercial, "You're Not You When You're Hungry" featuring the one and only Godzilla. I feel safe calling him the king of all monsters, don't you? The big bad is awesome until... he gets hungry. I understand this feeling well. Hangry is a problem. Check out the commercial to see if you can relate:

Mmm. Now I want a Snickers candy bar. Like a lot.

If you're also feeling the craving, enter this contest. Here's how to enter:

1. By 11:59pm PST on March 12th, comment here to let me know your favorite movie monster! Is it Godzilla? Someone else? I'm curious. Comments can only be entered once and are worth one entry.
2. For one additional entry by 11:59pm PST on March 12th, follow me on Twitter (@amy_geek), and tweet the following: Enter to win a Snickers #MONSTERSATISFACTION movie prize pack from @amy_geek: http://www.geekwithcurves.com/2014/03/giveaway-time-win-snickers-movie-prize.html

That's it! I'll assign the entries numbers and choose one at random. Then I'll email and/or DM the winner and the winner has to provide an address by March 25th. The address cannot be a PO Box. And sorry, but this is limited to U.S. addresses only.

Good luck!

The not so fine print:
Each household is only eligible to win One (1) Snickers Movie Prize Pack containing 5 Snickers Bars and 1 $15 Fandango Gift Card via blog reviews and giveaways. Only one entrant per mailing address per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you will not be eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

Note: This post is sponsored by Snickers Brand. This does not affect my opinions, etc.

March 6, 2014

I didn't watch the Oscars, but I didn't need to be tuned in to hear about the Benedict Cumberbatch photobomb that will go down in history:

Not only did he sneak in behind U2, he went with the best possible pose. The image has spread across the internet, and you'll find jazz-hands-Cumberbatch appearing in all sorts of photos. Because, of course. Tumblr user The Unicorn Saver even had the genius idea of turning the Cumberbomb into a bookmark:

How delightful would it be to have Cumberbatch looking that excited about whatever you're reading? Someone saw what The Unicorn Saver made and posted this template:

I can't find the source for who made the template, but you only have to take a few more steps to turn the fantastic image into a finished bookmark. You can apply these steps to photos you print or ones you cut out from magazines. You'll need the following supplies:

Template of the Cumberbomb

Scissors

Pencil

Bristol board, card stock, or foam core

Mod Podge or paper glue (maybe even a glue stick)

Foam brush (if you use Mod Podge)

X-acto knife

Cut out the Cumberbatch template on the inside of the line (I did some cleaning up after the above photo). Trace the outline of the bookmark onto thicker material such as Bristol board, card stock, or foam core. Anything heavier than plain printer paper will work and is necessary to keep your Cumberbatch bookmark from getting wrecked. Cut the bookmark shape out of the heavier material with scissors or your X-acto knife.

Put the paper Cumberbatch over the heavier stock to make sure everything lines up. Once you're sure it does, brush a thin layer of Mod Podge or apply glue (glue worked better for me) to the top of the heavier stock. Carefully place paper Cumberbatch on top and smooth out any wrinkles. Then just let him dry completely before you stick him in a book.

Alternatively, you could just print the image on card stock and cut it out, no glue required!

That's it! Make a Cumberbomb bookmark or apply this to any other fun images you see online, in magazines, or in comics.